Panel foundation making



Feb. 28, 1933. 5 PLACE 1,899,823

PANEL FOUNDATION MAKING Filed July 2, 1931 Patented Feb. 28, 1933 Application filed July 2,

This invention relates to the art of making foundations for automobile or similar panels of the kind that are utilized to finish the interior of bodies of any character.

Trim panels for use in finishing automobile or similar bodies generally consist of a relatively stiff fibrous foundation and a suitable fabric covering, applied to one face of the foundation and lapped around the edges thereof. The panel thus formed is applied to a supporting structure by disposing the rear or uncovered face thereof adjacent the supporting structure so that only the covered face and edges are visible. When ornamentation of the panel is desired, it has been the practice heretofore to apply what is lmown in the art as a riser to the foundation of the panel prior to the application of the fabric covering thereto. Such risers have sometimes been constructed of fibreboard or cardboard in strip form. The cardboard or fibreboard risers are unsatisfactory because they do not present the rounded corners desired to secure the best ornamental effect, and because they are so flimsy because of theirnarrow width that they furnish virtually no supplemental strength to the anel that is weakened by the means of attac ment of the risers thereto, which penetrates-both the riser and the foun- It has also been pro osed to construct the risers of rubber, but t is material, in additionto its high cost, is extremely flexible and accordingly it likewise does not stiffen the fibreboard foundation at the point at which it is weakened by the staples or stitching that is utilized to secure the riser to the founda-' In other instances it has been proposed to form the riser as an integral part of the foundation by corrugating and embossing upward projections in the foundation at the points desired. Thispractice is resorted to in an endeavor to avoid the necessity for weakening the foundation by attaching the risers as separate strips. The formation of such corrugations, however,'likewise weakens the foundation, since fibrous material is not inherently adapted for corrugation in view of the fact that the material can not 'which:

"UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE BION C. PLACE, OI DETROIT, MICHIGAN, ASSIGNOR OI OIS'l'lil-HAIJE TO GEORGE E.

GAGN'IER, OF DETROIT, MICHIGAN PANEL FOUNDATION MAKING 1931. Serial No. 548,464.

be stretchedmaterially without weakening it seriously even if it is not ruptured by the corrugating.

This invention aims to improve the foundatlons for ornamented panels by using a riser which, byvirtue of its inherent characteristlcs, serves to stiffen thepanel at the point of attachment of the riser so that the founda- Y tion is stiffer at the said point of. attachment than at other portions of the oundation,

though the foundation has been perforated by the means that'is utilized to attach the risers thereto.

of automobile or similar trim panels, made of a plurality of strands of kraft paper twisted together and subsequently compressed or compacted and reshaped to provide a riser in the approved form that may be produced at an extremely low cost, though possessing characteristics superior to the characteristics of the material heretofore used for this urposa' Another object of the invention is to provide an improved method of reinforcing the foundation of an automobile orsimilar panel by utilizing the risers that. serve the purpose ofornamenting the panel in its completed form,

Still anbther object of the invention is to provide ,an improved method of applying strips in the form of relatively laterally inflexible risers to a foundation for an automobile or similar panel, whereby neat corner joints may be made between strip sections that extend at an angle to each other. r Further objects of the invention will appear as a description-thereof proceeds with reference to the accompanying drawing in 10 Figlire 1 is a fragmental view of a partially completed'riser and reinforcing strip, one end of the incomplete riser being untwisted to show the construction thereof.

Figure 2 is a sectional view taken on the plane indicated by the line 2'2 in Figure 1.

Figures 3 and 4 are respectively plan and sectional views of the riser produced by compacting and reshaping the twisted paper product illustrated in Figures 1 and 2.

Figure 5 is a plan view of a foundation for an automobile or similar body showing the mode of application of the riser or strip sections.

Figure 6 is a fragmental view of the foundation illustrated in Figure 5 on an enlarged scale, showing the relation of the lapped edges of adjacent sections of the riser, and

1 illustrating how the mitre joint is formed between said sections of the riser.

Figure 7 1s a fragmentary view similar to Figure 6 showing a completed corner joint.

Figure 8 is a plan view of afoundation with the riser sections attached thereto in completed form.

Figure 9 is a sectional view taken on the plane indicated by the line 99 in Figure 8.

Figure 10 is an enlarged sectional View of the fragmentary portion of the panel showing the covering material applied over a riser sec tion.

Like reference characters indicate like parts throughout the several figures.

The combined riser and foundation reinforcing strips constituting an essential part of the present invention are preferably each formed from a plurality of strips of paper twisted together and then compacted and reshaped so as to provide a finished product having a hard and dense interior. Such a strip possesses great strength and resistance to lateral bending and is relatively stifi when it is sought to" curve it toward or away from the foundation to which it is to be applied. Preferably, the strip is formed by twisting together, in the manner of a rope, four strands of paper designated by the numerals 11, 12, 13 and 14 in Figure 1.

The paper strands may be first individually twisted before the four strands are twisted together to form a looserope-like structure. In

order to soften thepaper and enable it to be readily twisted into this form, the paper is j and one-half inches wide is well adapted for the formation of the strands. After. the strands of paper have been individually twisted they are twisted together to form a loosely wound cable 15 illustrated in Figure I. Said paper cable or cord is roughly circular I in cross-section and is'made up of indefinite length. While the cord or cable thus formed is still moist, it is passed through shaping rollers and subjected to great pressure to reshape and compress or compact the fibrous material entering into the construction of the cord or cable to produce a strip 16, Figures 3 and 4, having a flat surface 17 and a curved surface 18. During this operation of reshaping and compacting or compressing the strips, such strips are subjected to pressure sufliciently to greatly reduce the cross-sectional area of the strip and to compact the structure so at the same time, to serve the purpose of providing the riser or elevation for the fabric covering subsequently to be applied to the foundation. Inasmuch as the hard and dense material made in the manner just described cannot be bent in the direction of its major dimension at sharp angles, the strip is applied to the foundation in separate relatively straight or gradually curved lengths after the manner particularly illustrated in Figures 5, 6 and 7 of the drawing. As shown in these figures, a section 19 of a strip of the kind ust described is disposed on the foundation and stapled thereto by means of staples 20, Fi ure 6, applied thereto at intervals along t e length of the strip. The strip 19 generally parallels one edge of the foundation. Further straight sections 21, 22 and 23 and curved strip 24 are similarly applied to the foundation, preferably by stapling,

though said strips may be attached in any other approved manner. As illustrated in Figures 5 and 6, the strips are cut of such length that the ends of adjacent strips overlap and underlap respectively sufficiently to permit the' formation of a mitre or bevel joint between the adjacent ends of the strips, as illustrated in detail in' Figures 6 and 7, in which one corner of the foundation is illustrated to show the mode of making one of the joints between the adjacent strips. In Figure 6, the strips 22 and 19 lap as illustrated and said strips are attached to the foundation so that the end staples 20' and 20 on the several strips are disposed close to the point of intersection of said strips. 19 underlies the end of strip 22 as illustrated in this figure. In order to complete the bevel joint, after the strips have been firmly attached to the foundation as just described,

The end of strip the overlap ing edges are cut on the line indicated by t e numeral 25 in Figure 6 by any suitable sharp instrument, and the severed ends, which are of quadrilateral or triangular form, are removed permitting the end of the strip 22 to rest on the face of the foundation, with its beveled edge in snug engagement with the beveled edge of the stri 19, as illustrated in detail in Figure 7. or beveled joints may be formed at all of the points of connection between the various strips that form a part of the riser. The reinforcing strips just described may be applied in the manner pointed out to foundations constructed ofany material, but preferably fibreboard is used for this purpose in accordance with general practice. The fibreboard is stamped out in the outline of the completed surface to which the panel is to be applied. If the panel is to be applied to an automobile door, for example, it will assume an outline similar to that shown in Figures 5 and 8, that is, a generally rectangular form having one of the corners cut out on a curve 26. It will be observed that all the reinforcing strips generally parallel the edges of the foundation and that when a curve on a large radius forms a part of an edge of the foundation, the strip which is capable of being laterally bent on such curves follows in general the curve at said edge of the foundation.

If desired, the foundation may be provided with a multiplicity of specially formed openings 27 arranged at regularly spaced intervals around the periphery, except in any portions thereof that'are otherwise held in position, as by a molding forming a part of the supporting structure. These openings are formed, as illustrated in Figures 5 and V 8, to receive a spring fastener after the covering material has been applied to the outer face of the foundation, as described in my patent #1,722,944 granted July 30,1929.

-When such openings are used it will be observed that the reinforcing strips stiffen the margin of the panel in which the openings are formed, thereby strengthening the foundation and stiffening it to resist bending thereof where it is weakened by the formation of the fastener-receiving openings. The foundation may be provided with a further opening 28 for the passage of the window operating mechanism, and a further opening 29 for the door fastener operating mechanism. \W

If desired to further strengthen the panel and to further enhance the appearance thereof after com letion, it may be provided with further rein orcing strips 1n the form of relatively, short sections 30 and 31, Figure 8,

joined by a sharply curved short section '32,

Qbetween which mitre joints will be formed between the ends of the sharply curved strip 32 and the sections 30 and 31 m the manner imilar mitre heretofore described. Inasmuch as the short strip 32 is curved rather sharplg for ornamental purposes, said strip is pre erably provided with the desired curvature, during the course of maufacture of the strips b curv ing the strip laterally, while it is stlll soft, in the process of manufacture. The strip curved in this manner may be conveniently handled by permitting the spiral formed by the curving just described to assume an indefinite length permittin' adjacent convolutions to contact with eac other, forming a reel that may be conveniently handled and shipped to the point of application of the short cut curved sections 32. It will be observed that inasmuch as the openings 28 and 29 are formed between the reinforcing strip section 22 on the one side of said openings and the sections 30, 31 and 32 on the other side of the openings that the anel is stiffened in the portion thereof in WhlCll the openings are made, and at the point thereof at which it has its maximum width.

It will be observed that the flat surface 17 of the strip sections rest on the foundation and cover a substantial area thereof, each providing a firm contact with the surface of the foundation after the strip section has been stapled thereto. The stiffened foundation accordingly becomes, after completion of the application of the strip, a substantially integral" structure, the str p sections preventing the warping or bulging I of the foundation when put into use. At the same time, in view of the wide area of contact, the panel is strengthened at the point where it would otherwise be weakened by'the penetration of the staples 20. The rounded portions of the strips permit the fabric subsequently applied to the foundation to be smoothly applied thereover as illustrated in Figure 10, in which the numeral 33 designates the usual fabric covering for the foundation that is stitched to the foundation b lines of stitches generally .ing indicated by the appended claims rather than by the foregoing description, andall changes which come within the meanin and.

range of equivalency of the claims are t erefore intendedto be embraced therein.

What is. claimed and desired to be secured v by United; States Letters Patent is 1. foundation for an automobile or simi- 65 .p anel.

' lar panel comprising a fibrous body shaped to fit the surface to which the panel is to be applied, and a narrow strip of compacted fibrous material secured to said body to stiffen same and to serve as a riser in the ornamentation of said foundation. 2. A foundation for an automobile or similar panel, comprising a fibrous body shaped to fit the surface to which the panel is to be applied, and a narrow stiffening strip of twisted kraft paper secured to said foundation, said strip being compacted to provide wide flat surface for contact with said foundation and to provide an elevated rounded surface, to serve as a riser in the ornamentation of said foundation.

3. A foundation for an automobile or similar panel, comprising a fibrous body cut in the outline necessary to fit the surface to which the panel is to be applied, and a strip of compacted paper attached to said foundation spaced from but generally paralleling *the margins of the foundation whereby said strip reinforces the foundation and may serve as a riser in the ornamentation of the panel.

4. A foundation for an automobile or similar panel, comprising a fibrous body out in the outline necessary to fit the surface to which the panel is to be applied, and a strip of compacted twisted and reshaped kraft paper attached to said foundation spaced from but generally paralleling the margins of the foundation whereby said strip reinforces the foundation and may serve as a riser in the ornamentation of the panel.

5. A foundation for an automobile or simi- "lar panel comprising a body of fibrous material provided with fastener receiving openings adjacent the margins thereof, and a stiffening strip of compacted paper attached to said foundation spaced from but generally paralleling said margins, said stiffening strip having a wide fiat surface bearing on the 8. 'A combined riser and reinforcing strip for the foundation of an automobile or similar trim panel, consisting of a narrow strip of compacted paper having a flat surface for firmly contacting the foundation and a rounded surface for ornamentationof the panel, said strip being formed of strands of kra-ft paper twisted together and subsequent-.

ly reshaped and compacted to form said surfaces.

9. The method of I attaching stifiening between the. adjacent edges of the separate strips by permitting said strips to lap after completion of the attachment thereof by cutting said overlapping edges on a bias.

10. A foundation for a trim panel com- 7 prising a fibrous body and a reinforcing strip secured to said body and generally paralleling each edge of said foundation, said strip including a separate section for each edge of the foundation, the end of each section of said strip being joined to an adjacent section by a miter-butt joint.

In testimony whereof I afiix my signature.

' BION C. PLACE.

body and a rounded raised surface that may be used as 'a riser in the ornamentation of the panel. I

6. A foundation for an automobile or similar panel comprising a body of fibrous material provided with fastener receiving open ings adjacent the margins thereof and further openings in the body thereof, and a stiffening strip of compacted paper extendingacross the body in both directions and on oppositesides of said openings in said body and being secured thereto, said strip having flat surfaces contacting with said body and raised rounded surfaces .50 that it may serve as a riser in the ornamentation of the panel.

7. A' combined'riser and reinforcing strip for the foundation of an automobile or similar trim panel, consisting of a narrow strip of 

